Apparatus for multicolor stamping of dinnerware



1954 w. H. EMERSON ,69 37 APPARATUS FOR MULTICOLOR STAMPING OFDINNERWARE Original Filed Oct'. 1, 1947 6 Sheets-Sheet l TER susnsou g oWAL H. ELIZABETH K. smeasbmsxscumfx BY wamu awavr d,

Oct. 19, 1954 w. H. EMERSON 2,691,937

APPARATUS FOR MULTICOLOR STAMPING 0F DINNERWARE Original Filed Oct. 1,1947 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 /5 7 F1 I l IN V EN TOR. WALTER H.- EMERSON,DECEASED,

ELIZABgLH K. EMERSON, EXECUTRIX W. H. EMERSON 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR.WALTER H. EMERSW DECEASED Oct. 19, 1954 Original Filed Oct. 1, 1947 Oct.19, 1954 w. H. EMERSON APPARATUS FOR MULTICOLOR STAMPING OF DINNERWARE 6Sheets-Sheet 4 Original Filed Oct. 1, 1947 WALTER H. EMERSON D BELIZABETH K. E EXECU 1954 w. H. EMERSON APPARATUS FOR MULTICOLOR STAMPING0F DINNERWARE Original Filed oct. 1, 194'! 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 WALTER H. EMRS EBLYIZABETH W Oct. 19, 1954 w. H. EMERSON 2,691,937

APPARATUS FOR MULTICOLOR STAMPING 0F DINNERWARE Original Filed Oct. 1,1947 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 M! i u:

R MVERSON DEOEASE OR WALTE ".5 ELIZABETH K. emsnomexeou RIX fiw awz mvaPatented Oct. 19, 1954 APPARATUS FOR MULTICOLOR STAMPING OF DINNERWAREWalter H. Emerson, deceased, late of East Liver pool, Ohio, by ElizabethKing Emerson, executrix, East Liverpool, Ohio, assignor to The HomerLaughlin China Company, Newell, W. Va., a corporation of DelawareOriginal application October 1, 1947, Serial No.

777,222, now Patent No. 2,613,594, dated October 14, 1952. Divided andthis application September 4, 1952, Serial No. 307,877

4 Claims. 1

v This invention relates to dinnerware decorating apparatus, and moreparticularly to apparatus for use in the printing of decoration in aplurality. of colors on an article of ware. This invention is a divisionof the invention disclosed in the copending patent application, SerialNumber 777,222, for Multicolor Stamping of Dinnerware, filed October 1,1947, now patent No. 2,613,594, issued October 14,1952.

It is among the objects of this invention to provide apparatus whichmakes it possible to print multi-color decoration on an article of warewith the different colors registering with one another, which' permitseach color to be printed by a separate printing device, which allows anydesired number of colors to be used, and which decorates warerapidlyenough to be commercially practicable. A more specific object is toprovide an independent chuck for carrying an article of ware, fastenedthereon in predetermined position, through successive decoratingstations.

In accordance with this invention an article of ware is placed on anindividual ware carrier which supports means'for holding the ware inpredetermined position. The ware preferably first is centered on thischuck, such as by means forming a part'of the chuck or by separatecentering means, and then the ware is held in that position mechanicallyor by suction while the ware is being decorated by different printingdevices to which the chuck is moved in succession. While each successivecolor is being applied to the ware the supporting chuck is held in sucha position that the color will register in the desired manner with thecolor previously applied to the'warep After the decorating has beencompleted the decorated ware is removed from the chuck and. anundecorated piece affixed to it. Most suitably, the'chuck is carriedfrom one station to another by an automatic conveyer, and at eachstation the chuck is lifted from the conveyer to press the ware carriedby the chuck against a decorating stamp above it, or to hold the wareadjacent some other type of color printing device. I In such a case thechuck and the lifting means are so formed as to hold the chuck in properposition at each station, so that colors printed on the ware at thesuccessive stations will register exactly with one another.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which 1 isa plan view of part of a simple machine for decorating ware; Fig. 2 is afragmentary vertical section through the machine taken on line II-II ofFig. 1 and showing the chucks being lifted from the table;

Figs. 3, 5, 7 and 9 are enlarged plan views of four different chuckswith ware thereon partly broken away; Figs. 4, 6, 8 and 10 are verticalsections through the different chucks shown in Figs. 3, 5, 7 and 9respectively; and Fig. 11 is an enlarged front view of thechuck-positioning bracket and roller.

For the purpose of simplifying the drawings and description, thisinvention is shown embodied in a simple rotary machine of the indexingtype. This machine fully illustrates the principles of the invention. Inactual practice when it is desirable to print many colors on an articleof ware, a rotary machine would have to be made so large as to becomeimpracticable. Therefore, a straight line machine is preferred becauseit permits decoration with an infinite number of colors, and it is insuch a machine that this invention has its greatest value. Only themajor elements of the rotary machine shown herein are illustrated. Amongother things, the bearings for the rotating and the sliding shafts andposts are omitted.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, a table I is rigidly mountedon. the upper end of a rotatable shaft 2. The table is provided with aplurality of inwardly extending recesses 3 spaced an equal number ofdegrees apart, four recesses being shown for the purpose of illustrationonly. In practice, the number of recesses depends on the number ofcolors that the ware is to receive. Each recess has an inner circularportion surrounded by an incomplete ring 4 which forms a tapered seatfor the chucks B to be described later. The particular table shown isturned periodically by any suitable indexing mechanism, such as a Genevadrive (notshown) operatively connected to the table shaft in well-knownmanner. It follows that there are four stations around the table. At oneof these stations ware, such as an article I of dinnerware, is affixedto one of the chucks carried loosely in the table recesses. At the nexttwo stations decorations are printed on the ware. The remaining stationmay be an unloading station, or both an unloading and loading station.At the different stations vertically reciprocable lifting devices 8, 9,Ill, and H are mounted below the table recesses. The tops of thesedevices normally are located below the table, but during each pause inthe rotation of the table they move up through the table recesses abovethem to lift the chuck-s from the table. At the ware-affixing station aware-centering member 13 is mounted directly above the lifting device 8.

, At the decorating stations decoration printers,

such as stamps l4 and I5, are mounted above the underlying liftingdevices 9 and I0, respec- ,of the seating rings 4 on the table. Thebottom of the chuck has a downwardly tapered portion 24 of reduceddiameter provided with a recess 25. This bottom portion is adapted toseat snugly in the top of any one of the lifting devices. The bottomwall of the chuck is provided with a central opening 2'! controlled by asuitable check valve, preferably by a flap valve 28 of rubber or thelike located below the opening and provided with a lateral projection 29attached at its outer end to the base by a screw 30. Normally there is alittle space between this valve and the base. The upper portion of thechuck base is encircled by a ring 32 of impervious resilient material,such as rubber, the upper surface of which is inclined downwardly towardthe center of the chuck. This ring is for the purpose of supporting anarticle of dinnerware I, with the rim of which it forms a seal, It willbe seen that if the air pressure within the chuck is reduced, the warewill compress the rubber ring and be held firmly in place on it.

For the purpose of affixing ware in proper position to a chuck, liftingdevice 8 includes a lifting head 33 mounted on the upper end of a hollowpost 3d. The top of the head is provided with a tapered socket forreceiving the tapered lower end 24 of a chuck. One way of reciprocatingthe head is by means of a continuously rotating drum 35 encircled by acam groove 36 in which is disposed a roller 31 connected to the side ofthe post. Every time the cam lifts the post, the head is elevatedthrough the table recess above it to pick up the chuck resting in thatrecess in order to raise it above the table. As the chuck is movedupwardly, the ware supported by it enters the downwardly flaredcentering ring 13 which is disposed in axial alignment with the liftinghead. The ring adjusts the ware laterally on supporting ring 32 tocenter it on the chuck. The centering ring is adjustably mounted on thelower end of a rod 38 which is slidably supported in a vertical tube 39held above the chuck in any suitable manner. As shown in detail in Fig.rod 38 is provided with a collar M that prevents it from dropping out ofthe tube, but, if a piece of ware happens to be oversize, it can pushthe centering ring upwardly toward the tube. A coil spring 42 encirclesthe rod in the tube to resist upward movement of the ring.

As soon as the ware is centered on the chuck, air is withdrawn frominside the chuck so that the ware will be secured thereto in centeredposition. This may be accomplished by extending the axial passage 43(Fig. 4) in hollow post 34 up through the head 33, and by connecting theside of the passage to a flexible hose 44 that leads to a three-way mainvalve 46 connected by a pipe 4'! to any suitable vacuum producing system(not shown). When main valve 46 is in one position it connects pipe Mwith the hose, but when moved to its other position it closes the pipeand connects the hose with the atmosphere. The

valve may be operated manually or automatically in any well-knownmanner. As soon as the ware has been centered on the chuck, this valveis operated to connect pipe 41 with hose 44 in order to reduce the airpressure in the chuck. The flap valve on the bottom of the chuck then isclosed, following which themain valve is operated to connect postpassage 43 with the atmosphere so that the chuck can be removed from thelifting head.

For automatically closing the flap valve, a rod 48 extends slidablythrough a packing gland 49 at the lower end of the post and up throughthe post and head. The rod is pressed downwardly by a coil spring 5!which encircles its upper end and bears against a perforated collar 52secured to the rod and engaging a shoulder in the post. The lower end ofthe rod carries a roller 53 which rides in a cam groove 54 in drum 35.This cam is formed for raising the rod in the post after the post hasreached the top ofits stroke, so that the upper end of the rod willpress the flap valve up against the bottom of the chuck and hold itthere while the main valve is manipulated to admit atmospheric pressureto the lifting head. Atmospheric pressure then will hold the flap valveclosed while the rod descends in the post. The post and rod move downtogether to set the chuck back in the table ring 4 from which it wasraised. In Fig. 4 the chuck is shown at the moment the lifting head 33has set it in ring 4, before the lifting head has moved down away fromthe chuck so that the table can be turned to carry the chuck to the nextstation. Attached to the bottom of the flap valve is a metal disc 55with which the rod makes contact, and which adds weight to the valve toassure its hanging away from the chuck opening when the air pressureinside the chuck is atmospheric.

Following this, the table is indexed to transport the chuck and ware tothe first decorating station where the chuck again is lifted from thetable, this time by the lifting device 9 which includes a head 51mounted on the upper end of a post 58. The post is reciprocatedvertically in any suitable manner, such as by a rotating cam. 59 on acontinuously rotating shaft Bil, and the head is provided with a taperedsocket for snugly receiving the tapered bottom of the chuck. When thepost is raised, the head lifts the chuck and presses the ware carried byit against decorating stamp it. The stamp is mounted on the lower end ofa rod 62 which is supported above the table in any suitable manner. Theroller which periodically applies color to the stamp is not shown, so asnot to complicate the drawings unnecessarily, but such rollers and theiroperation are well known.

Another important feature of this invention is that the chuck is heldina preselected position on the lifting head when theware is pressedagainst the stamp, so that the colors applied to.

the ware at successive stations will register with one another. Specialprovision is made for this because of the difficulty of controlling themovements of the table or conveyor accurately enough to insureregistration of colors, because the chucks may rotate slightly in theirseats while traveling from one station to another, and because they maybe rotated slightly when theyv are picked up by the lifting devices orreseated on the table.

There are various ways in which the position of the chuck on the liftinghead can be controlled, one of them being as follows. As shown in Figs.1, 2 and 11, a bifurcated bracket 65 is i mounted on the side of liftinghead 5'! and has the opposite sides of its vertical slot 66 curvedtransversely so that they will make only line contact with a smallroller 61 between them projecting radially from the side of the chuckbase. The roller is of such a diameter compared to the width of thelower portion of the slot that it'will just touch both sides of the slotwhen the bracket is moved upwardly to straddle the roller. In thebeginning the chucks are placed on the table in such a position that theWide upper end of slot 66 will be sure to receive the roller 6! on eachsuccessive chuck as the bracket rises, so that the bracket will rotatethe chuck in either direction in table seat 4 whatever amount isnecessary to cause the roller to engage both sides of the lower portionof the slot. At the next decorating station the lifting head 68 isprovided with a similar bifurcated bracket 69 which will have to bebelow roller 61 on the chuck when the latter is indexed into positionabove head 68. Therefore, when the head moves upwardly toward the tablethe bracket will straddle the roller and, if the chuck is not in correctposition, will turn the chuck in seat 4 as the roller enters the lowerpart of the slot.

The position of the first positioning bracket 65 relative to stamp I lis immaterial, but the position of the second bracket 69 is importantbecause it must be able to receive roller 67 after the chuck has beenindexed to the second decorating station. The position of the secondstamp I5, and of any following stamps, relative to the underlyingchuck-positioning bracket also is very important, because the secondcolor applied to the ware must register with the first color. Therefore,when the machine is set up, stamp i5 is turned on its axis and shiftedlaterally to the position in which the decoration printed by it on theware will register with the decoration printed by the first stamp. Thenstamp I5 is locked in that position. Registration then will be assured,because the position of the first decoration is controlled by thepositioning bracket 65.

After decoration of the ware has been completed, the table indexes thechuck to the fourth station where the chuck is lifted from the table bylifting device II. This device may be constructed the same as liftingdevice ti, except that it does not include the rod by which the flapvalve is closed. When the chuck is lifted from the table, suction isapplied to it through the lifting device so that the flap valve will bepulled away from the bottom of the chuck. Due to the weight of thevalve, it will remain open when the bottom of the chuck is connectedwith the atmosphere, whereupon atmospheric pressure will be restored tothe inside of the chuck so that the decorated Ware can be removed fromit. An undecorated article of ware then is placed on the chuckimmediately, or as soon as the chuck has been indexed to the afiixingstation, and the cycle just described then is repeated. Of course itwill be understood that there are chucks 6 in all of the table recessesat the same time, and that all of the lifting devices rise together.Therefore, when a piece of ware is being centered on the chuck at thefirst station, two other pieces are being pressed against the decoratinstamps at the same time, and a fourth piece is being released from thechuck at the unloading station.

If desired, the Ware K may be held on the chuck by an adhesive which isengaged by the bottom of the ware after the ware has been adjusted intocentered position on a depressible supporting member. For example, thechuck shown in Figs. 5 and 6 has a circular base 9| provided with acentral vertical opening in which a threaded bushing 92 is mounted.Screwed on the projecting upper end of this bushing is the depressedcentral portion 93 of a retaining member which has a circular plate-likebody 54. Although it is possible to apply the adhesive to this plate forengagement by the foot of the ware, it is preferred to provide the plateat equally spaced points around its periphery with three outwardly andupwardly extending lugs 96 the upper surfaces of which are inclineddownwardly toward the center of the retaining member at about the sameangle as the rim of the ware to be attached to the chuck. Mounted on thetop of each lug is a thin layer of resilient material 91, such as spongerubber, on the upper surface of which there is a layer of a suitablepressure sensitive adhesive 98.

The body of the retaining'member is provided with vertical slots 99extending through it and crossing each other at right angles at thecenter of the member. Movable vertically in these slots are crossed barsNil which are rigidly mounted on the upper end of a stem I02 that isslidably disposed in the central bushing 92. The tops of the barsnormally are held in a plane near the top of lugs 98 by a light coilspring I03 that encircles the stem between the bars and the top of thebushing. An article of dinnerware set on these bars can be movedSideways thereon to center position, and then be pressed downwardlyagainst the adhesive on the lugs. This adhesive will hold the dinnerwarearticle in its depressed position and also will keep it from bein movedout of center position. For centering the ware on the bars and pressingit against the adhesive, the chuck'is raised from the table by liftinghead 33 to move the ware into engagement with the centering ring i3above it. After the ware has been decorated, it is removed from thechuck by simply lifting it therefrom.

There are various ways in which the ware-centering means can be made apart of the chuck, but they generally include the use of three pins orthe like which are movable simultaneously toward the axis of the chuckto center the ware first and then to hold it firmly in place. One way ofaccomplishing this is shown in Figs. 7 and 8 where the chuck has a base5% on which a stationary horizontal gear ml is mounted. The base has alaterally projecting roller 6! for properly positioning it on a liftinghead. Extending through the center of the gear and base is a bush ingH18 in which a stem I 89 is rotatably and slidably mounted. A flat plate8 i i is rigidly mounted on the upper end of the stem and is urged up--wardly away from the base by means of a coil spring H2 compressedbetween the plate and gear. At points spaced apart, the plate isprovided with downwardly extending sleeves H3 in each of which the upperend of a pin H4 is slidably and rotatably mounted. The lower ends of thepins rest on the chuck base beside the gear. Pinions HE meshing With thegear are rigidly mounted on the lower portions of the pins and are heldin place by means of a retaining ring Ill overlying the gear teeth. Eachsleeve telescopes into the cup-like inner end of an arm H8 secured tothe underlying pinion. The arm extends radially away from the chuckbase, and the outer end of the arm extends upwardly and is provided witha bore through which a headed centering pin I It extends. The lower endof the ries pinions IIEi around the gear by means of Which they arerotated. The pinions therefore swing centering pins II9 inwardly againstthe edge of the ware to shift it laterally on the plate until it iscentered thereon. The ware then is released, and the coil spring H2raises it until stopped by the heads I23 of the pins overlapping theedge of the ware. The pins therefore both center and lock the ware onthe chuck until the ware again is pressed down and turned in theopposite direction to swing the centering pins away from it. In case theware is warped slightly, the springs I2I on the centering pins willallow the pins to accommodate themselves to it. For very small diameterware, the supporting plate may be provided with inwardly extending slotsI24 that will permit the centering pins to move much closer to thecenter of the plate, as indicated in broken lines in Fig. '7.

Another chuck with self-contained centering means is shown in Figs. 9and 10. The base I26 of this chuck is provided with a positioning roller61, and with a central opening in which a stem I2? is slidably mounted.The stem need not rotate in the chuck base. Rigidly mounted on the upperend of the stem is a plate I28 for supporting an article of ware I. Thisplate has radially projecting portions spaced 120 apart, and each is Iprovided with a downwardly tapered opening forming a seat for a ball I29held in place by a retaining ring I30. Each ball is provided with acentral vertical passage in which a headed centering pin I32 is slidablymounted. Below the ball the pin is reduced in diameter to form ashoulder I33. Pressed upwardly against this shoulder by means of a coilspring I34 is the bifurcated outer end of an arm I35 disposed radiallyof the plate. Near its inner end the arm is provided with a pair ofupwardly projecting lugs I 31 that straddle a lug I38 projectingdownwardly from the bottom of the plate. A pivot pin I39 extends throughthese three lugs. The plate I28 is urged upwardly away from the chuckbase by means of a coil spring I4I encircling stem I21 and compressedbetween the plate and the inner ends of arms I35. While the plate is inits upper position, spring I4I will hold the inner ends of the arms downon the central portion of the base and thereby cause their outer ends toslide pins I32 upwardly in the balls to the dotted line position shownin Fig. 10.

An article of ware can be placed on the plate by inserting the edge ofthe ware under the head I42 of a centering pin and pushing it sidewaysto swing the pin away from the other two so that the edge of the platecan move down past them. When the ware is seated on the plate andpressed down, the engagement of the inner ends of arms I35 with thecentral portion of the chuck base will swing the outer ends of the armsdown in order to pull the centering pins down in the balls until theheads of the pins overlap and engage the edge of the ware. Any furtherdownward movement of the arms will be taken up by the springs I34 on thepins. When the pins are pulled down into ware-holding position, theyassume vertical positions and thereby move the ware into centeredposition on the plate.

Plate I28 is held in its lower position by means of a spring catch I43attached to the upper wall 8' of the recess I44 in the bottom'of thebase. The

lower end of this catch snaps over a shoulder I46' on a nut I4!adjustably mounted on a screw I48 projecting from the lower end of stemI2I. When it is desired to remove the ware from the plate,

the lower end of the spring catch is sprung out of engagement with theshoulder by pressing upwardly on a knob I49 mounted on the outer andthere has been illustrated and describedwhat is now considered to be thebest embodiment of the invention. However, it is to be understood that,within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practicedotherwise than as specifically illustrated and described.

What is claimed is: 1. In dinnerware decorating apparatus, a chuck base,a yielding support above said base adapted to slidably support anarticle of ware, a circular horizontal ring flaring downwardly, a holderfor saidring above said ware support, mechanism for effecting relativevertical movement between said base and ring whereby thering will centerware on said support and press the ware down-- wardly, means effectivefor holding the ware depressed and centered on the support, and avertically reciprocable member adapted to engage said base and lift it,said member and base being proe vided with interengaging means forrotating the base into a predetermined position on said mem- 7 her assaid member rises into engagement withthe base.

2. In dinnerware decorating apparatus, a chuck base, a sealing ringmounted on said base and pro-- jecting above it for supporting anarticle of ware,

said base being provided with a bottom opening,

a lifting member provided with a socket adapted to snugly receive saidbase with the lower end of said opening spaced from the bottom of thesocket, said lifting member being provided with an air passagecommunicating with its socket,- means for withdrawing air from saidsocket through said passage, whereby to reduce the air pressure directlybelow said ware, a flap valve below said base opening and normallyhanging away from it, a rod slidably mounted in said lifting member andprojecting into said socket below said valve, elevating means forraising said rod to cause it to push the valve up against said base toclose said opening after the air pressure below the ware has beenreduced, and means for lowering said lifting member away from the chuckbase after said opening has been closed and normal air pressure in saidsocket has been restored.

3. In dinnerware decorating apparatus, a chuck base, a sealing ringmounted on said base and projecting above it for supporting an. articleof ware, said base being provided with a bottom opening, a liftingmember provided with a socket adapted to snugly receive said base withthe lower end of said opening spaced from the bottom of the socket, saidlifting member being provided with an air passage communicating with itssocket, means for withdrawing air from said,

socket through said passage, whereby to reduce the air pressure directlybelow said ware, a flap valve below said base opening and normallyhanging away from it, a rod slidably mounted in said lifting member andprojecting into said socket below said valve, and elevating means forraising said rod to cause it to push the valve up against said base toclose said opening after the air pressure below the ware has beenreduced.

4. In dinnerware decorating apparatus, a chuck base, a sealing ringmounted on said base and projecting above it for supporting an articleof wars, said base being provided with a bottom opening, a liftingmember provided with a socket adapted to snugly receive said base withthe lower end of said opening spaced from the bottom of the socket, saidlifting member being provided with an air passage communicating with itssocket, means for withdrawing air from said socket through said passage,whereby to reduce 10 the air pressure directly below said ware, a valvecarried by said chuck base for closing said base opening, and a closingmember extending into said socket for actuating said valve to close saidopening after the air pressure below the Ware has been reduced.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 904,679 Burton Nov. 24, 1903 966,481 Silverman Aug. 9, 19101,275,569 Hodny et al Aug. 13, 1918 1,384,278 Slocombe July 12, 19211,815,547 Byrnes July 21, 1931 2,480,493 Martin Aug. 30, 1949. 2,603,148Mann July 15, 1952 2,613,594 Emerson Oct. 14, 1952

